Arthur’s Forest

When I began thinking about the subject matter of the painting I wanted to do for our son’s nursery, I knew that I wanted to incorporate animals in an imaginary forest, and I wanted to do it in a way that was both colorful and playful. The idea to include a bear cub clinging to a tree came instantly as I reflected on one of the meanings of the name Arthur. It is an ancient name, and its origins are somewhat obscure, but the sources I’ve seen consistently trace the name back to the word “artos”, which is Celtic for “bear”. The image to the left is an early detail from the painting, which I’ve decided to call “Arthur’s Forest”. The piece is almost finished and will soon hang above Arthur’s bed.